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Nonprofit Overview

Mission: Fistula Foundation works to heal women suffering from obstetric fistula by funding treatment, surgeon training, and medical equipment. To date, we have funded fistula treatment in 28 countries.

Results: Fistula Foundation is the largest private charitable foundation not accepting government funding supporting fistula treatment globally. Wherever possible, we work to empower dedicated local doctors in developing countries. We fund fistula surgery, surgeon training, the building of hospitals and operating rooms that are dedicated to fistula surgery, as well as “mobile” care clinics in rural regions of the world where no hospitals exist.
Would you like to know more? The real heroes are the partner organizations, the surgeons and the patients. All around the world, miracles are happening for young women living places like Ethiopia, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
We invite you to take a moment now to visit our website and to learn how our donors' dollars are being put to work. Learn about the challenges of healing women in war zones and meet dedicated local surgeons who work every day to treat women who are suffering.
Why wait? Take the journey with us right now. Let it inform you, and perhaps deepen your own life and perspective.

Target demographics: the one million women worldwide who currently suffer from the childbirth injury obstetric fistula, which renders a woman incontinent until she can receive a reparative surgery, like those our donors help us fund.

Direct beneficiaries per year: 5,076 women receive free, safe fistula repair surgeries. We also helped our partners throughout Africa and Asia by funding medical equipment and supplies, by funding surgeon training to expand the pool of surgeons who are able to perform more complex repairs, and by working with our partners to increase patient access to care.

Geographic areas served: countries throughout Africa and Asia, having funded fistula treatment in 30 countries since adopting a global mission in 2009.

Programs: obstetric fistula repair surgeries, patient identification, education and transportation, the training of obstetric fistula surgeons, and providing supplies and equipment to partners when needed to ensure that surgeries are conducted in as safe an environment as possible.

Community Stories

400 Stories from Volunteers, Donors & Supporters

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This organization does stellar work and focuses on matching money to need. Included in their recent support are sites in Bangladesh, Kenya, Angola and Nepal. The organizations that have been grant recipients also receive recognition for the work which Fistula Foundation has supported, including Dr. Denis Mukwege, founder of Panzi Hospital in Democratic Republic of Congo who received the Seoul Peace Prize in September.

The staff of the Foundation have always been willing to hear suggestions and consider recommendations. For a "small" charity, they do BIG work. Their administration costs are well below 10% of the operating budget. I am proud to be a donor and supporting their work.

Previous Stories

I first became aware of the Fistula Organization several years ago featured on a daytime talk show. The story left a lasting impression on me and I take the opportunity to share the story with others. The Fistula Organization will probably be the only opportunity for women in less developed areas to receive sophisticated medical care while also affording them compassionate care in addition to restoring their dignity. Women are the mothers of the earth and as such should be given the highest in regards.
The Fistula Organization is a much needed service and remains as my top priority in charitable service.

My wife and I have had the privilege of supporting The Fistula Foundation for many years. I worked with the Foundation's CEO, Kate Grant, at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and saw first hand her leadership and vision.

Those involved in development know that investing in women and girls is the key to transforming societies and nations. The Fistula Foundation deals with a difficult issue that is critical to freeing women to participate in their societies and families. It targets its work strategically and gets a payoff from its efforts that is measured in liberated and empowered lives. I view the Fistula Foundation as a model: it is accomplished, transparent, and accountable, and sets a standard that few organizations can match.

I don't contribute to many charities that don't operate in my adopted country of Ecuador. However, after learning about the impact of fistula on women in many countries, I am a loyal contributor to The Fistula Foundation. A more worthy cause doesn't exist.